~ Writing my way to harmony within and without

Day 74 – The significance of the insignificance

As serendipity and destiny of life would have it, I was listening to an On Being interview of Rebecca Solnit with Krista Tipett today revolving mainly around the solidarity, compassion and community that are forged, post-disaster. And how trying times bring out the best in human beings. Touching upon themes around the idea I wrote about yesterday on the dark side of the world revealing the bright side of humanity.

As I was listening to the podcast, several ideas floated in my head, the one I held on to most being that hope is not optimism, hope is knowing and accepting that the future is uncertain, but that small steps we take today will affect it. Hope is embracing uncertainity. Both Rebecca Solnit and Krista Tipett articulate it beautifully in the interview. Do listen. Our role is both significant and insignificant in this world. It is insignificant in that we are a small, tiny part of a much larger system of things. Significant in that we must still act, our action is an important piece in the larger puzzle.

Embracing this dichotomoy is key to doing our job and keeping hope alive. When we are frustrated with the lack of changes we see in the world, or the absence of significant impact of right’s movements, we must remember that the wheels of change will continue to turn for generations to come and a push in the right direction today is important even if it does not reach its goal in our lifetime. Don’t give up. When we feel the burden of the issues at hand and the support to bring to people we work with, we must realise that we are only a small piece to the puzzle and all we have to do today is our job, relentlessly. We keep doing it and it will have its impact, in some way, today, and in other ways, some day, one day.

I used to have lofty goals of contributing to changing the world through the job I am doing, today I think of it as bearing witness, building bridges, making connections that bring meaning to my life and my role to play in this universe. That contribute to my learning, growing, being and becoming.